Former Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Gazi Nazrul Islam, arrested on March 9 by joint forces, was placed on a five-day remand yesterday for interrogation in two extortion cases.

He faces three extortion cases, filed after his arrest. He is noew in Satkhira jail

Gazi Nazrul Islam was elected from Satkhira-5 (Shyamnagar) constituency in 2001 election as a candidate of BNP led 4-party alliance.

The investigation officer (IO) of the two cases submitted two prayers before the cognizance court seeking 10 days' remand. First Class Magistrate Hemayet Hossain of the cognisance court placed the former lawmaker on five days' remand.

S M Abdur Rashid of Chakbara village in Shyamnagar upazila on April 16 filed one of the extortion cases with Shyamnagar police station accusing Nazrul Islam and his uncle Abdus Sobhan.

The complainant alleged that the former lawmaker implicated his son Rabiul Islam and Amzad Gazi of the same village falsely in the Mizan Gazi murder case by influencing the complainant, Arab Ali, to harass them. The murder case was filed in 2005.

The lawmaker on May 7 in 2005 demanded Tk 50,000 from him through his uncle Gazi Abdus Sobhan as a condition for dropping his son's name from the case, the complainant said in the case.

Abdur Rashid went to the former lawmaker's house at Islampur at Shyamnagar upazila headquarters and gave him Tk 50,000 Abdur Rashid alleged.

Another extortion case was filed on April 22 by Jalal Uddin Sardar of Datpur village in Shyamnagar upazila accusing Nazrul Islam, his private assistant Gausul Azam and Jamaat leader Mahfuzur Rahman of Nurnagar village in Shyamnagar. The case was filed with Shyam-nagar police station.

Plaintiff Jalal Uddin Sardar alleged that a group of local Jamaat leaders and activists led by Mahfuzur Rahman on April 22 last year beat his men drove them out of his shrimp farm at Nidaya village and occupiedi.

Next day, as he went to the former Jamaat lawmaker to recover his shrimp enclosure from illegal occupation, he demanded Tk 3 lakh from him through his PA Gausul Azam, jalal Uddin alleged in his compliant.

Jalal Uddin went to the former lawmaker's house on May 2 and gave him Tk 2 lakh, the allegation said.